News & Observer and Herald-Sun staff members win 63 NC Press Association awards
The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun newspapers won 63 awards from the North Carolina Press Association, including first place in the General Excellence category.
Several awards went to the newspapers’ coverage of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina and the aftermath. The N&O shared an award with The Charlotte Observer for a collection of vignettes on the storm’s 100-plus fatalities.
The N&O won 36 awards, while The Herald-Sun received 27, including second place General Excellence.
The awards were given out Thursday night in Cary.
The newspapers were judged for work published from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
The N&O’s first-place awards were given for a range of coverage, including breaking news reports of a fatal shooting at a North Hills restaurant, investigative reporting for The N&O’s Power and Secrecy series and photography.
The staff also earned several special recognition awards:
- Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting: Korie Dean
- Media and the Law Awards of Excellence: Virginia Bridges
- Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award: Dan Kane and David Raynor
- Investigative reporting (a new $7,500 award funded by the A-Mark Foundation): Dan Kane and David Raynor
Scott Sharpe, The N&O’s visuals editor, received a first prize award in the magazine division for a series of photos he captured of abandoned buildings in rural North Carolina.
The News & Observer
1st Place Awards
- Staff for Breaking News Coverage — North Hills shooting
- Staff of N&O and Charlotte Observer for Special Section — Storm stole more than 100 lives in North Carolina. Here are their stories.
- Staff for Sports Coverage
- Dan Kane and David Raynor for Investigative Reporting — Power & Secrecy series, including
- Dan Kane and David Raynor for Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Award — Power & Secrecy series
- Virginia Bridges for Media and the Law Award of Excellence — Best daily article: NC shooting victims land a different kind of justice.
- Korie Dean for Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting — Series of stories: UNC Asheville is cutting programs key to its liberal arts mission. What happens next? UNC System likely to add civics requirements. Will it avoid ‘interference’ by lawmakers? Are UNC trustees influencing admissions? Updates on applicants are just a text away; Lee Roberts takes oath as UNC chancellor. Building trust is still a work in progress; Enrollment is up at public HBCUs in NC. What’s behind the trend?
- Dawn Vaughan, Danielle Battaglia and Avi Bajpai for Election/Political Reporting — Series of stories about Mark Robinson’s campaign for governor: How much was Lt. Gov. Robinson a factor in NC Gov. Cooper passing on Harris veepstakes?; Will NC abortion law change if Robinson wins as governor? It won’t be just up to him.; How Democrats tied Mark Robinson to NC GOP candidates — and why it didn’t trip up Trump
- Anna Roman for City, County Government Reporting — Series of stories: ‘We don’t call them tents We call them homes.’ Homeless encampment near Garner evicted; Why Raleigh is now giving money to residents of a former homeless camp; Wake County deputy’s career cut short by ALS. Will the county help him and his family?
- Shelby Swanson for Sports News Reporting — A cascade of tears. So many warm memories. How UNC football said goodbye to Tylee Craft
- Josh Shaffer for Serious Columns — Collection of columns: Farewell Duncan McMillan, Raleigh’s Atticus Finch, who defended the poor for free; This Raleigh soldier volunteered to fight in Ukraine, in the end making a sad sacrifice; Goodbye to Capt. Rob, the drifter and street drummer who found hope in a Raleigh church
- Josh Shaffer for Religion & Faith Reporting — Raleigh’s oldest synagogue has been a hub for Jewish life for 150 years
- Lexi Solomon for ledes — Collection of ledes: Loved ones remember ‘gentle giant’ killed in Hillsborough double shooting; Jury sees graphic cellphone videos in Raleigh convenience-store murder trial; Cary college student had her whole life ahead of her. Then, gun violence cut it short.
- Travis Long for Spot Photography — The power of Helene
- Robert Willett for Sports Photography — Touchdown Dive
- Robert Willett, Ethan Hyman and Mike Homan for Photo Page — Voting and challenges in North Carolina after Helene
2nd Place Awards
- Staff for Use of Social Media — News & Observer TikTok
- Tyler Dukes for Investigative Reporting — Private Eyes
- Lexi Solomon, Kristen Johnson, Tammy Grubb for General News Reporting — Raleigh domestic violence shooting leaves 2 people dead; ’I thought I was going to be dead,’ says survivor of Raleigh shootout that left 2 dead
- Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi for Beat News Reporting — Series of stories on state recovery efforts for hurricanes Matthew and Florence; State will pause aid for hundreds of Eastern NC hurricane survivors without new funding
- Richard Stradling for Beat Feature Reporting — “We got a bridge in 3 hours.” Unusual material allows NCDOT to build fast after Helene
- Brian Gordon for Business Writing — IBM, Red Hat’s parent, drops diversity from annual report
- Andrew Carter for Sports Feature Writing — Mack Brown was the ultimate salesman, but never quite made the ultimate delivery at UNC
- Ethan Hyman for Feature Photography — Moonrise over PNC
- Travis Long, Robert Willett and Mike Homan for Photo Page — Picking up the Pieces from Helene
3rd Place Awards
- Staff for Use of Social Media — News & Observer Instagram account
- Danielle Battaglia for Election/Political Reporting — Will Trump’s 50th campaign rally in NC be his last?
- T. Keung Hui for Education Reporting — DEI fallout in Wake public schools and NC schools lose tens of millions in teacher grants after Trump administration DEI cuts
- Josh Shaffer for Feature Writing — On his 100th birthday, a father’s lifelong question answered
- Danielle Battaglia for Beat Feature Reporting — How Helene and a locked gate escalated Rep. Virginia Foxx’s feud with her NC neighbors
- Josh Shaffer for Lighter Columns — Collection of columns: Farewell to Rickey Henderson, lightning-fast hero of my youth; He’s collected 90,000 PEZ dispensers, and he cherishes every one; She wrote 100 zesty romance novels, and she knew Fabio. Farewell, Dixie Browning
- Shelby Swanson for Sports News Reporting — UNC hired a law firm to explore leaving the ACC. Now it’s being sued for keeping it quiet
- Jadyn Watson-Fisher for Sports Enterprise Reporting — Family. Friends. Football: Inside the life of NC State head coach Dave Doeren
- Luke DeCock for Sports Columns — Collection of columns: The DeChambeau-McIlroy duel in the pines rekindled the aura of Pinehurst at its best; Florida State’s ACC betrayal no laughing matter, but first-ever loss to Duke sure is; Bill Belichick ready to cut sleeves off an Alexander Julian blazer as UNC football coach
- Ethan Hyman for Sports Photography — A handful rebound
The Herald-Sun
1st Place Awards
- Staff for Video — After the storm: What Helene left behind in the North Carolina mountains
- Virginia Bridges for News Enterprise Reporting — Child Sexual Abuse Awakening: How UNC School of the Arts alumni pushed sex abuse history from shadows to the spotlight; Child sex abuse survivors say institutions that employed predators betrayed them too; North Carolina Supreme Court could seal fate of hundreds of child sex abuse lawsuits
- T. Keung Hui for Education Reporting — Funding crisis threatens hundreds of NC childcare centers
- Tammy Grubb for Business Writing — NC farmers look for solutions as corn crop withers
- Kimberly Cataudella Tutuska for News Feature Writing — Do snake repellants work? Can a dead snake bite you? Fact-checking 15 NC snake beliefs
- Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, Kyle Ingram for Election/Political Reporting — “Too much on the line.” Early voters turn out in Western NC after Helene scrambled plans
- Adam Wagner for Religion & Faith Reporting — After Helene, a Baptist congregation looks for answers and solace and ways to help
- Steve Wiseman for Sports Enterprise Reporting — How Cooper Flagg’s family tragedy — and triumph — made one particular charity effort personal
- Ethan Hyman for Feature Photography — Framed by the moon
- Ethan Hyman for Sports Feature Photography — The winning goal
- Kaitlin McKeown for Sports Photography — Drawing a foul
2nd Place Awards
- Tammy Grubb for General News Reporting — Chapel Hill private school sued over allegations of child-on-child abuse
- Korie Dean and Emmy Martin for News Enterprise Reporting — UNC Asheville cutting liberal arts programs. What happens next?
- Virginia Bridges for Beat News Reporting — Police chases
- Korie Dean for Election/Political Reporting — “Lost all of our revenue”: How Trump’s plans to shutter USAID impact Triangle businesses
- Lexi Solomon for News Feature Writing — How a Durham quilt records the lives lost to homicide
- Richard Stradling for Beat Feature Reporting — A legendary Durham bridge still mauls trucks, though not as often as it used to
- Richard Stradling for Arts and Entertainment Reporting — New one-man play uncovers complexities of a Jim Crow-era murder in Durham
- Steve Wiseman for Sports News Reporting — Heartbreak to hallelujah: How Duke basketball broke through to return to Final Four
- Jadyn Watson-Fisher for Sports Feature Writing — Duke softball coach leads program to best season one year after husband’s heart attack
- Travis Long for Spot Photography — Coming together after a tornado
- Kaitlin McKeown for Sports Feature Photography — Let’s go Duke
3rd Place Awards
- Tammy Grubb and Josh Shaffer for General News Reporting — A $500,000 frat party
- Tammy Grubb for Beat News Reporting — Series of stories
- Travis Long for General News Photography — Marshall covered in mud
- Robert Willett and Kevin Keister for Video — What is Calabash-style seafood? “Absolutely dee-licious!”
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
Jessica Banov
The News & Observer